Chapter 118 – Exposure (1)

[Wait! What did I do wrong? Please don’t abandon me like this…]

The voice heard in his head gradually became smaller then couldn’t be heard at all.

It was a pleading voice, but Sun-woo’s decision didn’t change.

Though attached with various flashy content, the sword wasn’t much help to Sun-woo.

He already had one usable sword, and to Sun-woo who could acquire skills, the divine sword’s words about teaching swordsmanship one by one weren’t much help.

Moreover, Sun-woo really liked the bracer. The bracer that evolved little by little through hundreds of years and countless people’s hands had all the experiences of people it went through.

Just from briefly checking with skills, countless fights and training experiences could be felt, incomparable to the sword that was mostly stuck in the royal palace treasury.

Sun-woo used <Item Transformation Stone> to make the ring and bracer into items then put them in inventory.

“The prince or mercenaries will take care of it, so won’t be lonely.”

Whether the divine sword heard wasn’t known, but after leaving final words to the sword, Sun-woo’s figure disappeared from the dragon’s treasure vault.

***

“That person named Alda kept looking for you. Will it be okay later?”

This was the first thing Yeonhwa said after returning home.

“It’s fine. We’ll meet Daniel soon. Daniel will explain well.”

When contamination disappeared from the mountain range, the mercenaries were uncertain, but Daniel would definitely find the prince and go to the lair.

Sun-woo sent condolences in his heart to Daniel who would definitely be tormented by Alda.

Yeonhwa nodded at Sun-woo’s words then entered the bathroom to shower.

When Yeonhwa went inside, Sun-woo took out the ring and bracer from his phone.

“If recognized as equipment, wouldn’t need to make into items…”

Like the clothes he wore or phone, if recognized as equipment and weapons, wouldn’t need to spend points to make into items, but besides the clothes and phone he wore, absolutely nothing was summoned.

Sun-woo examined the ring and bracer then put the skull ring back in inventory. Testing the summoning ring here was impossible.

Fortunately the bracer wasn’t thick so even after wearing it, he could put on a coat. Taking a deep breath, Sun-woo drew up inner strength converting to mana and pushed it into the bracer.

[Who. Are. You?]

A voice was heard in his head again.

It was an inarticulate and mechanical voice. Though called ego, unlike the divine sword, it seemed almost meaningless.

“New master.”

[Ah, hel. lo…]

Fortunately some response was possible.

Sun-woo stopped conversing with the bracer’s ego here and executed the thought that came when first discovering this bracer.

He took out enhancement stones from phone inventory. Regrettably enhancement stones hadn’t been very useful until now.

Could use on clothes or sword he wore, but since they were clothes and sword without skills or other special functions, enhancement stones only made them slightly harder.

Sun-woo placed the enhancement stone on the bracer with anticipating eyes.

Slurp.

The enhancement stone was absorbed into the bracer immediately upon being placed, melting like snow, and gentle light began flowing from the bracer.

[Ah, ah, ahh.]

While light came from the bracer, strange moans began echoing in Sun-woo’s head. Painful but joyful moans continued flowing then became quiet as if nothing happened when light disappeared.

Enhancement was definitely finished, but Sun-woo looked at the bracer with a dubious expression.

After some time passed, a voice was heard in Sun-woo’s head again.

[Haa, let me. greet. again.]

Definitely a changed voice from before. Though mechanical feeling remained, it felt quite human.

Moreover that satisfying sigh…

Sun-woo couldn’t help but think he made the wrong choice.

[Nice. to meet. you. new. master.]

“What should I call you?”

When Sun-woo checked with phone camera, there was no other name besides bracer. Since calling it bracer was awkward, he asked for a name but heard an unexpected answer.

[No one. has given. me a name. yet.]

Strange at first hearing, but soon could understand the reason.

Sun-woo roughly skimmed the bracer’s past, but far from being helpful, no master with sensitive emotions to give a name to an existence that could barely respond was seen.

From what he confirmed, one mercenary wandering battlefields asked a nearby mage to cast defense magic on the bracer, and that bracer came through numerous masters without breaking thanks to properly cast defense magic.

The bracer wandered battlefields accepting mana and at some point even generated ego. But mercenaries wouldn’t converse or research with the bracer like mages just because ego was attached.

The dragon who got the bracer last also kept it because evolving equipment was interesting, but had no thought of researching anything.

“Hmm, a name…”

Though things became somewhat troublesome, Sun-woo decided to give a name.

If continuing to wear the bracer, voices would keep being heard in his head, so needed to give a name to make it shut up.

“Mary, yes let’s go with Mary.”

True to Sun-woo who was worst at naming, he hastily gave a common neighborhood dog name.

[Mary, my. name is. Mary.]

On the other hand, the receiving side wasn’t in that mood. The voice seemed serious as if it was a name with great meaning.

Moreover, while Mary kept repeating her name, absurdly the bracer began emitting light once more.

The flowing light was similar color to when enhancement stone was placed on the bracer, but brightness was incomparable. Light flowing from the bracer filled the entire living room.

After time passed and light disappeared, the bracer had a different appearance.

The old and shabby bracer that was sturdy due to defense magic but aged, now sparkled like new and emitted gentle radiance on the surface.

Sun-woo urgently checked the bracer with phone camera.

<Evolution Bracer Mary: Bracer grown to treasure grade through evolution and enhancement>

– Bracer absolute defense

– Mana shield generation  

– Physical defense increase

– Mental spirit ego

Expected from the shining appearance, but description exceeding expectations appeared on screen.

“Don’t tell me it grew like this just from giving a name?”

[Correct. Thanks to master giving me a name, I awakened as proper ego. Thank you.]

Not just the bracer’s appearance changed. The ego’s voice was completely different from before.

The somewhat inarticulate and broken mechanical voice changed to refreshing and clear voice.

Though speech was somewhat stiff and language was fantasy world language, for Sun-woo who had no language restrictions, could understand well enough.

Hearing the ego’s words, Sun-woo made an apologetic expression. Seemed like he gave the name too carelessly.

“But various functions increased, how should I check these…”

[If you wish, I’ll immediately tell you usage methods.]

Like the sword’s ego seen before, the bracer’s ego Mary also tried to immediately explain her utilization. Probably basic function, no, disposition of egos.

“Should go to training ground immediately.”

Checking the evolved bracer was more urgent than loosening his stiff body.

“Why training ground?”

Then Yeonhwa who finished showering came to living room asking Sun-woo.

With towel wrapped around her head wearing light sportswear, she looked like a slender model rather than holy maiden.

About to answer Yeonhwa’s question, Sun-woo couldn’t help but let out empty laughter. Because he could finally explain the reason for running alone leaving Yeonhwa and others behind.

Sun-woo told Yeonhwa about the dragon’s treasure vault story. Anyway the prince and Alda became summoners and Daniel was there too, so the secret vault wouldn’t remain undiscovered.

Explaining about summoning ring and bracer while showing the two objects, Yeonhwa looked at the bracer with strange expression.

“Interesting. There’s a spirit dwelling in the bracer?”

Holy maiden was holy maiden indeed. Immediately recognized the ego contained in the bracer.

“Strange spirit. Not animal spirit, not plant spirit, and not human soul either. Seems similar to energy flowing from old relics…”

Yeonhwa almost correctly guessed though it was from another world.

“It’s called ego. Mental spirit activated by magic in that world.”

“I see. But really clear spirit. Just feels a bit special… Well, shouldn’t matter.”

Yeonhwa brought up something ominous then immediately shook her head.

Didn’t seem very important, but thinking of Yeonhwa’s usual behavior, Sun-woo couldn’t help but feel quite worried.

Leaving Yeonhwa watching TV at home, Sun-woo headed alone to the training ground converted from warehouse.

The nearby training ground looked like ordinary warehouse outside but inside looked like proper gym from continued reinforcement.

Sun-woo first checked the summoning ring.

Ring made by lich skull mage, only usable by mages capable of summoning magic.

Wearing the ring, seemed to roughly know usage. Method of injecting mana into ring then casting summoning magic on ring to summon registered summons.

Standing in middle of training ground, Sun-woo gripped sword in one hand and began injecting mana into ring with extremely tense appearance.

First time trying summoning magic. From mana amount going in, didn’t seem like tremendously strong summon, but couldn’t know if summoned summon would immediately obey, and more importantly didn’t know what summon would appear.

Would be fine if ordinary(?) monster appeared, but problem was contaminated summons seen before.

Didn’t know how it happened, but when mage summoned contaminated summon, was really shocked.

Sun-woo carefully cast summoning magic on ring, black hole formed on floor before him then small monster size of elementary student appeared.

“Goblin?”

Fortunately ordinary monster not contaminated.

Moreover seeing it roughly follow Sun-woo’s instructions, summoning magic seemed to work properly.

Sighing in relief, Sun-woo immediately reverse-summoned the goblin.

Sun-woo was quite satisfied with summoning ring. Not contaminated and summon obeyed well. Of course summoned summon was only goblin, but ring had many, very many various monsters requiring more mana besides goblin registered.

Wanted to summon more, but decided to test ring only up to here. If huge one appeared by mistake, this training ground couldn’t be safe.

Starting to test bracer next, Sun-woo soon understood what Yeonhwa’s ominous words meant.

Sun-woo who struck the bracer hardened by injecting mana with sword heard Mary’s voice in his head.

“Ahh!”

Unlike bracer unaffected by powerful impact, chicken skin-inducing voice was heard.